Vietnam spent nearly 7.6 billion U.S. dollars importing cloth in the first eight months of this year, posting a year-on-year decline of 13 percent, according to the country's General Statistics Office on Tuesday.

The country's largest cloth import markets included China and South Korea, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

Between January and August, Vietnam imported over 1 million tons of cotton worth more than 1.6 billion U.S. dollars, down 1.4 percent in volume and 15.1 percent in value, and spent nearly 1.3 billion U.S. dollars importing 649,000 tons of yarn, down 22 percent and 10.1 percent respectively.

Last year, Vietnam poured over 13.3 billion U.S. dollars into importing cloth and earned roughly 32.6 billion U.S. dollars from exporting garments and textiles, according to the office.